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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. prune — to trim
  6. march — the month
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. march — the month
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. firm — a company
  11. perch — the fish
  12. firm — decided
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. rest — what's left
  15. firm — steady
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. rest — a break
  18. rock — music
  19. march — music
  20. prune — to trim
  21. rock — a stone
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. rest — what's left
  24. prune — the fruit

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com